Archives

The cold air biting at your lungs with every deep breath, the weight of the sled in your mitten-ed hand, the bright sunlight glinting off acres of hot white snow, there is nothing better than a clear sunny day right after a deep snowfall for sledding on Cape Cod.

Yesterday was just such a day — six new inches from Saturday’s “ValenBlizzard,” cousins visiting from Connecticut and a bright blue cloudless sky. We dressed the crew up with all the gear, grabbed every sled we could unearth amidst sails, paddleboards and other basement debris, and walked over to the Woods Hole golf course.

What vistas are to be had for the intrepid who wander its lush hills and valleys! In winter, this private club becomes our neighborhood sledding destination, with slopes varying from beginner to what locals call wicked steep. In a scene reminiscent of Bruegel, we trudged in a single line across the vast meadow of snow towards the peak, top of hole 8, slickest spot on the course.

There was little time to pause and see Buzzards Bay flecked with white caps in the distance, or look the other way to see Martha’s Vineyard dancing across the Sound through bare winter trees — as we rushed to enjoy the epic Cape Cod sledding, the whoosh of speeding down, so exhilarating yet brief, followed by the epic march back up the hill.

Many laughs, selfies and snow heaps of exhausted children later, we piled back down the hill for cups of chowder and hot cocoa all around at the new Quicks Hole Tavern in Woods Hole. A great winter’s vacation day, sledding here on Cape Cod.